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Hazimism, also referred to as theHazimi movement or known as theHazimiyyah[1] orHazimi current,[2] was an extremist movement within theideology of Islamic State. The movement was based on the doctrines of the Saudi-born Muslim scholarAhmad ibn Umar al-Hazimi, which was adopted by many Tunisian recruits within ISIS.
Hazimis believe that those who do not unconditionally excommunicate (takfir) unbelievers are themselves unbelievers, which opponents argue leads to an unending chain oftakfir.[3][1] Its spread within ISIS triggered prolonged ideological conflict within the group, pitting its followers against the moderate faction led byTurki al-Binali.[2] It has been described as "ultra-extreme" and "even more extreme than ISIS".[3][1] The movement was eventually branded as extremist by ISIS, who initiated a crackdown on its followers.
Due to al-Hazimi's reluctance to directly comment on the subject of politics, there exist varying beliefs among the Hazimi movement, leading some to argue that it does not present itself as a uniquemanhaj.[4] Hazimis spans from direct Salafi-jihadist elements currently aligned withBoko Haram and formerly associated with ISIS,[5] to those hesitating to explicitly criticise theSaudi monarchy. Hazimis regard participation in the democratic system or process as grounds fortakfir and a nullifier of Islam, considering it equivalent to prostrating to an idol.
ContemporarySalafi-Jihadi movements base their beliefs on the teachings of theologians such asIbn Taymiyyah andMuhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. However, al-Hazimi asserted that the doctrines put forward by contemporary Salafi-jihadi thinkers were not to be blindly followed, challenging the consensual authority of Ibn Taymiyyah. This outlook would completely shake the ideological foundations of the Salafi-jihadi movement. Hazimi's doctrines were also highly influenced by the doctrines of theEgyptianmilitant Islamist ideologueSayyid Qutb.[6]
Central to Hazimism is the doctrine oftakfir al-'adhir ("excommunication of the excuser"). In his treatiseNullifiers of Islam, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab writes that those who do not excommunicate (takfir) unbelievers are themselves, unbelievers, whether that is because they doubt their disbelief (kufr) or otherwise. Hazimism differs from mainline Wahabbism by rejecting the concept ofal-'udhr bi'l-jahl ("excusing on the basis of ignorance"), which asserts that those who doubt the disbelief of a disbeliever due to their own ignorance are not disbelievers. This concept is considered by jihadis to be a restraint on excessivetakfir.[7]
To justify their claims, various Hazimi ideologues assert that Ibn Taymiyyah was against the principle ofal-'udhr bi'l-jahl in affairs ofshirk (polytheism).[8] Al-Hazimi categorically rejectsal-'udhr bi'l-jahl for actions he considers to be of "greater polytheism" (al-shirk al-akbar) and "greater disbelief" (al-kufr al-akbar), such as voting in elections and supplicating to the dead. Al-Hazimi states that those who refuse to pronouncetakfir on the performers of such actions on the basis ofal-'udhr bi'l-jahl are themselves unbelievers.[9]
Between December 2011 and May 2012, al-Hazimi delivered four lectures inTunisia. He was supported by the Islamic Good Society and Hay al-Khadra' Mosques Committee. While the members of the former were arrested for financing terrorism, the latter had maintained links toAnsar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST). With the aid of the committee, al-Hazimi founded theIbn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani Institute for Sharia Sciences, which promoted his teachings. His views were also amplified through AST'sFacebook page.[3]
In the following years, several Tunisians who adopted al-Hazimi's views joined ISIS. During the group's conflict with theal-Nusra Front, the Tunisians remained loyal and were rewarded with senior administrative and religious posts. With increasing influence, however, their belief intakfir al-'adhir (excommunication of the excuser) became a source of concern for ISIS leadership.[3]Bahraini scholarTurki al-Binali, who led the group's Office of Research and Studies, prepared a series of lectures and pamphlets against the doctrine. He argued that whileal-'udhr bi'l-jahl was invalid in instances of greater polytheism and disbelief, this does not necessarily mean that those who make excuses are disbelievers. In a tweet, he also described the belief asbidʻah (religious innovation). The Binalis, as they were later termed, also claimed the Hazimi view led to an "infinite regress oftakfir" (al-takfir bi'l-tasalsul).[2]
In March 2014, audio leaked of several high-level Hazimi officials, including thewāli ofHasakah, pronouncingtakfir on theTaliban andOsama bin Laden. A separate leak showedtakfir being made onAl-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.[3] In late 2014, 50 Hazimis fled toTurkey while 70 were imprisoned and executed by ISIS after they madetakfir on elements of its leadership which did not considerAyman al-Zawahiri to be a disbeliever.[10] Following their arrest, a pro-Hazimi statement surfaced describing ISIS as a state of disbelievers andJahmites.[11] Several Hazimi cells were formed afterwards; the breakup of one inRaqqa being featured inDabiq where they were branded asKharijites.[10] Despite the crackdown, several groups of Hazimis remained, including one led by a certain Abu Ayyub al-Tunisi and supported by thewāli (governor) ofAleppo.[3][12] In 2016, Hazimis fought against ISIS in the vicinity ofAl-Bab andJarabulus. Abu Muath al-Jazairi, a senior Hazimi, called ISIS the "Idols' State" andAbu Bakr al-Baghdadi the "taghut" of Syria in his account of the incident.[11]
In a statement published inAl-Naba in April 2017, ISIS' Central Office for Overseeing the Sharia Departments banned the discussion ofal-'udhr bi'l-jahl andtakfir al-'adhir, but warned that hesitation intakfir was inexcusable.[2] On 17 May 2017, ISIS' Delegated Committee issued a memorandum which condemnedal-takfir bi'l-tasalsul but stated thattakfir was from the "foundations of the religion", rebuking those who hesitate in making it and branding them asMurji'ites.[13] Shortly afterwards, al-Binali published a response to the memorandum and claimed its intent was to placate the Hazimis. On May 31, al-Binali was killed in aCJTF–OIR airstrike, followed by two other scholars who supported him. The timing was seen as suspicious by the Binalis, who accused the Delegated Committee of leaking their locations.[13] In September 2017, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reportedly dismissed and detained several Hazimis, reshuffling the Delegated Committee.[2][14]
In 2019, Hazimi foreign fighters, including a large contingent of Tunisians, failed a two-day coup attempt against al-Baghdadi. ISIS alleged they were led by Abu Muath al-Jazairi and placed a bounty on him.[14][15]
In June 2020, it was estimated there were over 100 Hazimis in theNetherlands.[1]
Present day Salafi-Jihadi movements – ISIS, Al Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, Boko Haram, and others throughout the Middle East and in other regions of the world, base their beliefs according to the philosophy and teachings of iconic theologians of Salafi-Jihadi ideology such as Ibn Taymiyyah (d.1328) or Mohammad Bin 'Abd Al Wahab (d.1791). .. Al Hazimi argues that the philosophy of such Salafi-Jihadi thinkers, teachers, and theologians like Ibn Taymiyyah and `Abd Al Wahab – let alone the current ones, is not to be blindly obeyed. This outlook completely shakes the very foundation of current Salafi-Jihadi hierarchy and structure... Al Hazimi's ideology and teachings echoes the philosophy of the Egyptian Islamist thinker Sayyid Qutb (executed in Egypt in 1966), whose thoughts significantly inspired contemporary Militant Islam.
The early phase of ideological contestation in the Islamic State can be traced to the rather obscure figure of Ahmad ibn 'Umar al-Hazimi... At question here is the theological concept known as al-'udhr bi'l-jahl, or "excusing on the basis of ignorance," which many Salafi Muslims, including jihadis, have seen as a restraint on excessive takfir.
In one of his articles, al-Maghribi relies on a lecture of al-Hazimi to argue that Ibn Taymiyyah was against the excuse of shirk..
To all appearances, al-Hazimi is not himself a jihadi, but his views on takfir, ... would have a tremendous impact on a group of jihadis who went on to join the Islamic State... Al-Hazimi is categorically opposed to al-'udhr bi'l-jahl when it comes to so-called "greater polytheism" (al-shirk al-akbar) or "greater unbelief " (al-kufr al-akbar), categories that include acts such as supplicating the dead or voting in elections. He therefore deems those who excuse polytheists on the basis of ignorance to be unbelievers in accordance with the third nullifier. Those in the Islamic State who adopted al-Hazimi's views came to be known as "the Hazimis" (al-Hazimiyya, al-Hazimiyyun).
